Introduction
This past weekend, the Wolverines travelled down to South Bend to compete in a highly competitive Fighting Irish 7s tournament that saw the likes of many top teams in the country duke it out on the pitch. The conditions, to put it lightly, were not favorable for anyone, as driving winds and rain persisted throughout the day.
ICCC 14 Michigan 10
In their first match of the day, the Wolverines hung tough with the eventual winners of the tournament but ultimately couldn’t pull out a victory. Michigan went down a man early after receiving a (questionable) yellow card but were able to kill the penalty to keep the game scoreless. Freshmen Thomas Olavesen and Sam Plockmeyer put in strong performances to help keep the game close. However, Michigan failed to convert after both tries and lost a close one.
WMU 7 Michigan 28
After a tough loss, Michigan faced a familiar foe in the Broncos of Western Michigan. After competing in a scrimmage with each other earlier in the season, both teams were eager to face off in a match that counted on their record. Michigan came out strong in the first half with a break from Jack Regan that led to a pair of long tries from Tommy Hamman to go up 14-0 at the break. WMU struck first in the second half with a quick score of their own to cut the lead to 7. However, Michigan continued to put their foot on the gas with tries from freshmen Thomas Olavesen and Regan Plank to go up 28-7. Strong defensive efforts all around in the waning minutes helped seal the match for the Wolverines.
Thomas More 7 Michigan 35
Michigan built on their previous win with another impressive outing against Thomas More. They built an early 14-0 lead going into the break. However, Thomas More responded with a try of their own to start the second half to make the score 14-7. A 2 try performance from sophomore Jack Regan, along with another break that led to a Tommy Hamman try, put the Wolverines on top, with Captain Shea Loughnane adding a score of his own in the final minute.
Adrian 29 Michigan 5
Despite putting together 2 solid wins in a row, the squad couldn’t add to the total as they came up short against a tough Adrian squad. Shea Loughnane struck first with a beautiful try, slicing through the defensive line off a lineout in the opening minutes. Michigan had another chance to add to their lead but lost their own scrum within the Adrian 22-meter line. Set piece woes would plague the Wolverines throughout the match as they would lose 2 more scrums that led to Adrian scores.
What’s Next
Even if the record didn’t show it, Michigan put on a gritty and tough performance with much to build from moving forward. Numerous freshmen got valuable playing time and performed well because of key absences from other players. Additionally, other players were dealing with injuries of their own throughout the day. With a fully intact squad, Michigan will look to bounce back in their upcoming tournaments and, eventually, the CRCs in late April.
